konknaijaboy | On 03, Oct 2014

“Because of their service and heroism …
it is women like Stella Ameyo Adedevoh to whom such a claim rightly belongs …” – Babatunde Raji Fashola (BRF); Executive Governor of Lagos State, Nigeria …

… and BRF joins Dr. Stella Ameyo Shade Adadevoh on this honours’ list, the following on the heroic Team … in his words at a National Day Valedictory Speech on Wednesday October 1, 2014:

… “It is young Nigerians like Dr. Morris Ibeawuchi, who first made contact with the index case patient and continued to treat him who saw and conquered Ebola. He got infected, from doing his job, got sick, survived and is back to his job.”

… “It is first responders from the Lagos State Ministry of Health like Dr. Jide Idris, Dr. Yewande Adesina, Dr. Wale Ahmed, Dr. Kayode Oguntimehin who saw Ebola. They responded to the call from First Consultant Hospital. They spent 12 (Twelve) hours daily in the early days supervising the construction of Ebola Containment Facility when the epidemic broke. The Lagos State Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) which later became the epicenter of Ebola Management used to house tuberculosis patients and patients with infectious diseases. Those patients vented their anger on these people when they had to be moved to create room for the Ebola centre. I know they spat at Dr. Adesina for doing her job”.

… “Dr. Abdul-Salam Nasidi of the National Disease Control Centre in Abuja saw and conquered Ebola. He helped in no small way to co-ordinate the containment”.

… “Dr. David Brett-Mayor of the World Health Organization saw and conquered Ebola. He single handedly started the Ebola Isolation Ward, having cleared and cleaned the room. He admitted and cared for the patients before any Nigerian doctor joined him”.

… “Professor S. A. Omilabu, the dedicated virologist at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), saw Ebola and conquered it. He coordinated the fault free testing for Ebola and managed all the samples professionally”.

… “Peter Adewuyi saw Ebola and conquered it. He led the contact tracing team of many dedicated officers for the first 2 (two) weeks”.

… “Mrs. Funmi Lagbokun, Mrs. Modupe Aiyedun Davies, Mrs. Basirat Adeoye, Ms F. O. Bamgboye, Mrs. K. O. Oshisanya, Mrs. Kazeem Abioye, Mrs. Abiola Lasaki and Mrs. K. Adeshina all saw and conquered Ebola. They were the dedicated team of nurses, nursing aid, care giver, health assistant and hygienist who commenced work voluntarily in the Ebola containment ward without any demand other than the sense of duty”.

… “Yemi Gbadegesin and Abdulsalam saw and conquered Ebola. They coordinated the de-contamination, removal and burial of the index case and other cases, and it is because of them that First Consultant Hospital, Lagos can re-open for business”.

My Take:

We today and by extension our universe are cresting on the success and recognition of extrarordinary feat at containing the Ebola virus on Nigerian soil, largely from the heroism of above listed persons.

We must thank BRF for exemplary leadership in boldly stepping out to identify these Nigerian heroes …

I strongly believe that at appropriate time, very soon, they will get deserved national honours.

It is fervently hoped that other leaders at all levels of our governance follow this specific BRF’s leadership beacon.

In the meantime, we salute these heroines/heroes … We equally salute BRF as a leader of men.

Written by: Akin Eyitayo Fatunke (Lagos, Nigeria)

 

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